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Not exactly converted You state in the editorial: “Obviously, N.Y.U. has learned something from the dreadful experience of those two large projects” — the Kimmel Center and the new Law School building — and “Now, John Sexton, N.Y.U.’s president, has turned over a new leaf.” It is disconcerting that the experience of community outrage didn’t seem to affect President Sexton’s thinking in regard to the development of the massive 26-story dormitory — the “megadorm” — on the St. Ann’s site on E. 12th St. Despite community opposition, this dormitory has not only used the community facility bonus, but also the air rights purchased from the Cooper Station Post Office. Apparently, the “firestorm of angry opposition from the community” regarding the Kimmel Center and the new Law School building didn’t complete President Sexton’s conversion to understanding the concerns of the community and preserving the fabric of the East Village. The “new leaf” seems to be a work in progress and only time will tell. Faith in N.Y.U will be established by deeds not words. It was sad to read of the death of Mollie Bender. Your obituary properly acknowledged her important role in Greenwich Village and Meat Market preservation initiatives. But I was pleased that you mentioned one of the most historic and also most neglected of the properties in the Gottlieb/Bender portfolio — the Northern Dispensary on Waverly Pl. For the last three years, I and other residents of Waverly Pl. have been trying to raise interest in turning this unique triangular landmark into what we believe is the missing element in the life of Greenwich Village — a permanent History and Visitors Center celebrating the extraordinary contributions of Villagers to the culture of New York, the United States and the world. For the legions of tourists and out-of-towners who visit New York each year, the Village has always been a powerful attraction. Yet there has never been an educational institution dedicated to public understanding of Village history and life that they can visit. I often encounter puzzled-looking tourists fixated on their guidebooks as they wander on Waverly and other streets, and, as I try to guide them, I think how great it would be if I could say to them, “Just step over there to that triangular building where Edgar Allan Poe was treated for a head cold, and you’ll learn about Greenwich Village history and where to find its landmarks.” The Greenwich Village History Center could feature a permanent collection of art and artifacts of historic consequence, state-of-the-art interactive exhibits — including architectural models of the Village as it evolved over two centuries, combined with the story of the Village’s ongoing battle for landmark protection — and a small multimedia theater with an introductory H.D. video, as well as feature film screenings, plays, lectures and concerts showcasing the rich body of work by Village residents past and present. I sincerely hope that, as the Bender family ponders the real estate legacy of William Gottlieb and Mollie Bender, they will give consideration to a project that would be a permanent tribute to the rich history and present spirit of Greenwich Village. Sounds like Lucas Mann had a hidden agenda when he put on his rose-colored glasses and wrote this article, romanticizing the prostitutes. Perhaps Lucas would also like to have them canonized as saints! Residents living in the West Village see without the distortion of those rose-colored glasses; and they see these young prostitutes on a daily basis, morning and night — not just once to write an article. The residents don’t see the docile youths in school teacher-like clothes described by Lucas, but rather see rowdy youths prostituting themselves in suggestive costumes. The residents are bombarded with the boisterous reveling of these youths on the street throughout the night, only to wake up to find used condoms in their doorways. For many reasons, people are unhappy about what has happened to the Meat Market, but money has won out there (as it usually does). That does not, however, give prostitutes carte blanche to move into residential areas to ply their trade and to carry on with antisocial behaviors. Prostitution is still an illegal activity, and the large number of 311 calls and arrests in the area prove that there are not merely a handful of prostitutes involved, as Lucas suggests! Barbara Baluta What is the point of making a park along the Hudson River if you have to destroy a historic inland neighborhood to pay for it? It’s not a matter of being pro- or anti-“development,” but of being honest about the cost. For instance, the Related plan to make money from Pier 40 counted on 7,400 additional visitors per day. Does anyone suppose these arrivals and departures would just skip over our little West Village streets? Let the “pro-development” parties take a look at the traffic on, for instance, Seventh Ave. S. from about 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and tell us it’s O.K. to add another few thousand cars. Folks who say opposition is “anti-capitalist” live somewhere else. Why are they deciding our fate? And what does Henry Stern know about “business” anyway? Does he know or care that New York City air quality is the worst in the country and that most of the problem is particulate matter from vehicular exhaust? (The American Lung Association says it’s even worse this year than last, and that children, in particular, should not exercise near traffic.) Is it “anti-capitalist” to point out that proposals for Pier 40 to date have been less than brilliant? Why, for instance, would it be “good business” to build theaters you have to drive to when off-Broadway theaters reachable by mass transit are closing for lack of audience? The churning of restaurants in this area suggests we already have too many. Do they need more competition?
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